Get Ready for Google Lighthouse’s 2025 Overhaul

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Jul 4, 2025 / by
Get Ready for Google Lighthouse’s 2025 Overhaul

If your website depends on organic traffic, Google Lighthouse is a tool you can’t afford to ignore in 2025, particularly with all the major changes coming this year.

Lighthouse is Google’s open-source auditing tool that evaluates a page’s performance, SEO, accessibility, and technical quality. It provides a score from 0 to 100 in each category, along with actionable recommendations. 

Whether you’re using it via Chrome DevTools or integrating it into your CI pipeline, Lighthouse helps ensure your site meets modern standards for both users and search engines.

SEO and the Lighthouse Audit

Since 2018, Lighthouse has included a basic SEO check that covers essential on-page factors like meta tags, canonical URLs, and structured data. It’s not a full audit, but it’s a fast way to surface simple, fixable problems that may be holding back your rankings.

Now, Google is preparing to replace this familiar audit framework with a new system called Lighthouse Insights, and the transition begins soon.

What’s Changing and When

Starting in May/June 2025, Chrome version 137 will introduce a toggle that lets users switch between the current Lighthouse audits and the new Insights version. A month later, Insights becomes the default. By October, the legacy format will be gone completely. If you rely on Lighthouse to catch SEO or performance issues, these changes will alter your workflow and reporting, so preparation is key.

Understanding the Key Metrics

Lighthouse evaluates several technical and on-page elements, but none are more important right now than Core Web Vitals: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), and Interaction to Next Paint (INP). These metrics reflect real user experience and are now part of Google’s ranking algorithm.

Improving LCP involves faster server response times and optimised images. Fixing CLS means eliminating sudden layout jumps. And to improve INP, reduce long JavaScript tasks and streamline interactivity. Tools like Google Search Console and Semrush can help you track progress and identify regressions over time.

Does Lighthouse Affect Rankings?

Not directly, but what it measures absolutely does. Fast, accessible, well-structured pages lead to better engagement and higher visibility. Lighthouse is your early warning system, flagging technical issues before they affect your bottom line.

How to Get Your Site Ready

Start by running a baseline Lighthouse audit using Chrome DevTools or the Node CLI. Choose the SEO and performance categories to get a complete picture of where you stand. If you’re managing multiple pages or a large site, consider integrating Lighthouse into your CI/CD pipeline so you can catch regressions automatically.

Third-party platforms like Semrush and Ahrefs can complement your Lighthouse audits. They offer deeper analysis across hundreds of ranking factors and technical issues and often include Core Web Vitals tracking.

Beyond tools, double-check that your site’s crawlability and indexing settings are configured correctly. Lighthouse will flag blocked pages, missing canonical tags, or misused robots directives.

Don’t Overlook Content and Accessibility

Even a technically flawless site won’t perform if the content doesn’t deliver. Make sure each page has a clear title, useful meta description, and a well-structured heading hierarchy. Use keywords naturally and write for your users, not just the algorithm.

Lighthouse also checks accessibility, including colour contrast, alt text, and semantic HTML. These factors improve the experience for all users and support better SEO.

Monitor, Adjust, Repeat

As Lighthouse evolves, so should your optimisation strategy. Use tools like Lighthouse CI and PageSpeed Insights to continuously monitor site health. Stay informed by tracking Chrome release notes so you’re ready when Insights becomes the new standard.

Final Thoughts

Google’s audit tools are shifting, and the sites that adapt early will have a clear edge. Lighthouse is a direct window into what Google expects from modern websites. Treat these audits as part of your ongoing SEO and performance strategy, and your site will be in a strong position heading into 2026 and beyond.

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